When Game of Thrones TV series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss set out to craft an epic series called 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of a trilogy of sci-fi novels written by Chinese author Liu Cixin, for the Netflix streaming service, they were hoping to get four seasons out of the material. But when the first season of 3 Body Problem started streaming in March and pulled in a sizeable but underwhelming number of views, some began to question whether or not Netflix would want any more episodes of the big budget show. Now The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Netflix has indeed ordered more episodes – but just enough to allow Benioff, Weiss, and co-creator Alexander Woo to wrap up the story. Exactly how many episodes that will be has not yet been revealed.

The showrunners provided the following statement: “We’re thrilled that we get to tell this story through to its epic conclusion. Ever since we read the last page of Cixin Liu’s magnificent trilogy, we hoped we’d be able to bring the audience to the end of the universe with us. Here we go!“

Peter Friedlander, vp of scripted series at Netflix, added: “The extraordinary 3 Body Problem, brought to life with the deft hands of Benioff, Weiss and Woo, will soar to never-before-seen heights as they tackle the rest of the mind-blowing journey through Death’s End. Their brilliant vision as storytellers is matched by their amazing partnership — and, just like the fans, we can’t wait to see what they have in store.“

The Hollywood Reporter shared this information on the show’s viewership and budget: “After a somewhat modest first week, the show demonstrated it had legs, topping Netflix’s TV chart for three weeks and spending seven weeks in Netflix’s global Top 10. While 3 Body Problem initially drew some mixed reviews, its Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience scores gradually rose to 80 percent and 78 percent, respectively. The show is said to be one of the most expensive in Netflix’s history, costing more than $20 million per episode, which doesn’t include the cost of acquiring the TV rights to Liu Cixin’s novels and subsequent marketing.” JoBlo’s own Alex Maidy gave the show a 6/10 review.

The 3 Body Problem was the title of the first novel in Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. The second novel was titled The Dark Forest and the third Death’s End. The novels tell the story of what happens when humanity discovers that we are not alone in the universe and prepares for an alien force arriving from a distant and inhospitable world. The title refers to the aliens’ star system, which has three stars orbiting each other in such a way that an Earth-type planet between them keeps suffering extreme hot and cold temperatures, repeatedly wiping out its intelligent civilizations.

The first eight episodes of the Netflix adaptation had the following synopsis: A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes, five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history. The series stars Eiza González (Baby Driver, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), Jovan Adepo (Overlord, The Stand), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, Gemini Man), John Bradley (Game of Thrones, Moonfall), Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Dog Soldiers), Jess Hong (Inked, The Brokenwood Mysteries), Marlo Kelly (Home and Away, Dare Me), Alex Sharp (How to Talk to Girls at Parties, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Sea Shimooka (Pink Skies Ahead, Arrow), Saamer Usmani (Inventing Anna, Succession), and newcomer Zine Tseng.

Benioff, Weiss, and Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy) are co-creators, executive producers, and writers on 3 Body Problem. Bernadette Caulfield is also an executive producer, as are Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue of T-Street; Lin Qi, the late former Chairman of Yoozoo Group, and Zhao Jilong, CEO of the rights-holder, The Three-Body Universe; Xiaosong Gao and Lauren Ma; Plan B Entertainment’s Brad Pitt, Jeremy Kleiner, and Dede Gardner; and Rosamund Pike and Robie Uniacke of Primitive Streak. Derek Tsang and Andrew Stanton direct and co-executive produce. Jeremy Podeswa and Minkie Spiro also directed episodes.

Benioff previously told The Hollywood Reporter that the second season (if it happened) would be better than its predecessor. “Liu Cixin’s created this indelible trilogy and the books just get better for me. The second book is far better than the first, and the third book just completely blew my mind. The story just gets more and more ambitious as it goes, and it takes a huge leap in book two. So I feel like if we survive to the second season, we’re going to be in a good place.“

Did you watch the first season of 3 Body Problem, and are you glad to hear there will be additional episodes that will wrap up the story? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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